Tips to Lose Weight while Eating Clean

Happy Sunday Everyone! I want to give you a few tips to help you lose weight while clean eating. I have to say this is the biggest struggle for most people whether they start their weight loss journey or they have been working out for a while. Most of the time I am hearing I do fantastic during the week, my workouts are on point, I up my weights, and I just eat pretty well. But they cannot seem to lose weight or see any physical change. Sometimes we hit plateaus, we over train,don't eat enough, but mainly if you aren't seeing the results are you checking your "diet." 


The 21 Day Fix is an amazing program and you can get amazing results, but if you aren't sticking to the schedule of workouts and following the nutrition guide you aren't going to max your results. Don't get me wrong, you will lose weight, but to really see the full effect of the program you have to clean up that diet and the food you are putting in your body. If you don't know where to start, I suggest picking up this book ; Just the Rules by Tosca Reno. It really helps you focus on where you should be starting, so you don't get overwhelmed. 

You need to know this is a lifestyle change. You can't starve yourself. You can't skip breakfast. You can't eat less than you are supposed to. You need to eat the proper foods. Eat 5-6 small meals everyday. If you think a starvation diet is going to work you are WRONG...you will be slowing down your metabolism and burning fewer calories. Stick with the basics when it comes to eating : green leafy , fruits, vegetables, fish, chicken...whole natural foods is what you are going for!

Some tips that have helped me lose weight: 

1. Plan your meals out so you know exactly what you are having each day & it will allow you to stick to it rather than falling off plan. 

2. When cooking your protein a little bit of non-stick spray, EVOO, coconut oil. 

3. Add fresh fruit to your plain Greek yogurt instead of buying flavors. The flavor Greek yogurt has tons of sugar. If you add fresh fruit to plain yogurt its cutting half the calories. 

4. Just drink water. If you are struggling for the "fizz" taste, try La Croix flavor sparkling water. 

5. Try to avoid the condiments on sandwiches.

6. Clean out your house of any unwanted calories or foods.

7. Go for whole grains.

8. Portion your food out.

The 5 Common Excuses Everyone Gives

This may come off the wrong way but this has been on my mind for awhile. I've been thinking about how I want to say it so I don't "hurt" anyone's feelings, but I'm just going to be brutally honest. I have been getting 5 common excuses lately when it comes to working out, eating healthy, joining a challenge group.

Here goes nothing.....

1. I just don't have time: let me stop you right there. We all have the same 24 hours in the day. So how are you using your time. If you are scrolling through Facebook, pinning on Pinterest, or watching hours of tv shows on On Demand, you have time. All you have to do is carve 25-30 minutes out for a quick home workout. You have to make time.

2.  It's too expensive: I had the same thought when I was considering joining a challenge group. For this to not get expensive you have to change your life. If you do nothing and add $130 into the mix, yes it will get expensive.  But if you want this bad enough you have to make some sacrifices. Take a look at your life and see where you are spending your money daily. Are you going every morning for a Mcdonald's breakfast sandwich & coffee which costs $5. A Starbucks coffee depending on size $6. If you stop doing these daily activities think of how much money can be saved in a single month. I use my Shakeology as a meal replacement, so that is less that needs to be spent at the grocery store.  It is all about making the choice to invest in your health, if you want the healthy lifestyle it just comes with sacrifices but with results in the end.

3. I can't stick to anything: If you think you can't; you won't... the power of belief.  Just because you haven't in the past does not mean you aren't now. You can do anything you put your mind too, no matter what it is. If you start this going all in and giving everything you got, finding a program you love and you ARE going to stick too you WILL. Accountability groups are so important in this aspect because I at one point in time did not stick to anything. I would start something and in two weeks because I wasn't seeing fast enough results I just quit, and there was no one to stop me because I was in on this alone. No judging when it comes to this group, this group is your safe haven. A place for you to check in for daily motivation, tell us about your struggles, what is working well for you, a place to just come for positive motivation, and when you feel like giving up or you are in a rut this group everyone will support you and push you to just keep going.

4. Eating healthy...way too expensive for us: It's not that it is expensive, maybe the fruits and veggies are just a little bit. But you are getting whole foods and you are staying full for way longer. You are fueling your body with proper nutrition so in the end you are not eating all the "crap" that makes you feel tired/sluggish/bloated right after you eat it. When you take care of your body, the likelihood of you being sick or given medication is slim to none.

5. I just don't have support:  You are not alone in this journey...and I have found that out the hard way. There are plenty of people out there who are looking for ways to get healthy & find a workout routine that works for them. The problem is people tend to think they are alone and they are just afraid to try and fail. If you want to get fit and healthy and you don't want to do it alone, you don't have too. I will support you 100% of the way and we will get you in an accountability group with other people just like you looking to create a healthier lifestyle. But let me just start by saying, failing is apart of life and it is what makes us who we are. All you have to do is start, you don't have to go out and run a marathon on your first day. This is going to be slow and steady. Remember this is a lifestyle change, not a diet. And believe in yourself, because I believe in YOU every step of the way.

If you haven't been in an accountability group before and you think maybe this is exactly what you need please feel free to take a few moments and fill out the application below and then we can discuss together what options are best for you. And if you have been in an accountability group before and you just fell off the wagon (sometimes we just do) and you want to get back on track feel free to fill this application out as well ! You are worth so much more than you give yourself credit for!!

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Egg Whites Muffins

Looking for a different snack idea? Try these buggers. They are simple & easy to make. What kind of veggies do you want? Throw them in there and cook.

Ingredients:

-3 eggs
-3 egg whites
-veggies (you can add whatever you like & make them different each time that you make 'em)
-seasoning (if you would like)
-sea salt & pepper (to taste)

Directions:

-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
-Prep & cut your veggies
-Add your eggs to a bowl; whisk together. Now, is the time to add your seasoning if you desire.
-Spray with muffin pan w/olive oil spray
-Place a little bit of veggies & the bottom. Cover that w/ less than half way with the egg mixture.
-Bake for 25 minutes and ENJOY!

 

Peanut Butter & Banana Muffins SKINNY STYLE

I can't tell you how much I love Pinterest for recipe ideas! And turning your favorite dishes into healthy. I have to show up with an idea of what I want or I can be lost on there for hours; thinking of what I want to make next week!!!!

What you need:

-1/2 cup (~1 medium) very ripe banana

-1/2 cup all natural peanut butter

-2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-2 tablespoons brown sugar, lightly packed*

-1 large egg

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1/2 teaspoon baking soda

-1/4 teaspoon baking powder

-1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon oat flour (regular oats that have been blended or processed)

-1/3 cup old fashioned oats**

-1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

 

How to make:

 

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray the 7-8 cavities with nonstick spray and fill the other ones halfway up with water (ensures even baking).
2. Do not use muffin liners.
3. Remove the banana peel and mash well using a fork. Measure the banana after it has been well mashed.
4. In a large bowl, using hand mixers, cream together the mashed up banana, peanut butter (do not warm up), agave or honey, vanilla extract, and brown sugar.
5. Beat until completely combined. Beat in the egg.
6. Beat in the salt, baking soda, baking powder, and oat flour.
7. To make oat flour, take oats and pulse them in a blender or food processor until they are in a flour like consistency. Make sure to measure the oat flour AFTER blending and not before or the amounts will be off.
8. Beat just until combined.
9. Stir in the old-fashioned oats and the dark chocolate chips.
10. Using a cookie scoop, scoop two full scoops of the dough into each muffin cavity. If you want larger muffins only fill 7 of the cavities. If you'd rather have more muffins fill up 8.
11. Bake at 425 degrees for 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 6-7 minutes.
12.  Slightly under-baking these muffins makes them taste way more moist and light. If you don't like that though, bake them a little longer, just watch them carefully so they don't burn.

*If you want your muffins sweeter, increase brown sugar by 1-2 tablespoons. **Make sure oats are certified gluten-free to have a gluten-free muffin.